Women's Fastbreak On SI

A'ja Wilson Ribs Dawn Staley Over Lack of WNBA Coaching Desire

Las Vegas Aces superstar A'ja Wilson made her feelings clear about South Carolina's Dawn Staley not wanting to coach in the WNBA.
Grant Young|
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) reacts after scoring Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) reacts after scoring Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Last week, South Carolina Gamecocks head coach and three-time NCAA champion Dawn Staley signed a record-breaking contract extension that will keep her with the Gamecocks through at least the 2030 season.

Given that Staley will now be earning a base $4 million salary (which will increase by $250,000 each year) to go along with a $500,000 signing bonus, it's no surprise why she signed this deal to remain a college coach.

There's also no question that Staley's success has made her a top target for WNBA teams in need of new coaches in the past. But Staley set the record straight regarding her desire to coach professional basketball when speaking with the media on January 19.

"I would never leave here to go take another college job," Staley said after being asked about a clause in her contract that states she wouldn't have to pay South Carolina a departure fee if she left for the NBA or the WNBA like she would if she left for another college program.

"I have the best of the best here. And I don't have a passion for the next level. I don't. I would have been gone, seriously. So to have [the clause] in there, it was just something fancy to have you ask me that question," Staley added.

While this loyalty was is respectable, Las Vegas Aces superstar A'ja Wilson (who Staley coached at South Carolina) jokingly called Staley out for it on Threads.

"We get itttttt you don’t wanna come to the W 😒🙄," Wilson wrote in a reply to Staley's words on Monday.

While Wilson was clearly joking, she'd surely like to have Staley back on her coaching staff in some capacity.

Published
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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